Thursday 18 May 2017

LOST BOYS: THE ASTRAL CINEMA OF FABRIZIO FEDERICO

An auteur filmmaker. Born in the UK in 1983 and the oldest of  6 siblings, Federico was raised in an Italian/Jamaican culture.  After surviving a house fire in 1989 which started late one night while he was watching Godzilla, him and his family narrowly escaped with their lives, having to escape by jumping out of their upstairs window. All that survived from their house was a photo of his recently deceased grandfather.

He fell in love with cinema as a young boy after moving to Italy. Films such as the Italian Spaghetti Westerns, Casper cartoons and the comedies of Paolo Villaggio (Fantozzi) all made an impression - as a teenager more avant-garde films by Dennis Hopper, Kenneth Anger, Andy Warhol & Pasolini  captured his imagination to create movies outside of the mainstream.

''Id rather create chaotic films, they're more beautiful.  Parent's hate my movies, cose I deal in state's of mind not discipline.It's the antithesis of professionalism & craftsmanship - more like sorcery.Be childish & irresponsible when creating, with the minimum of means.Regard my projects as epileptic fits.''

After being deported from the USA in 2006 Federico settled back in the UK.
For his debut feature film Black Biscuit (2012) he chose homeless people, sex workers & addicts to star in the film. Raising the funds by nude life modeling & going from door to door asking people to donate a £1.00. Most of the filming was done using car crash stolen cameras, mobile phones and children's cameras. There was no script, and he didn't tell anyone what the movie's plot was about during filming. His only direction was ''just be yourselves and either make me sick, amazed or inspired'' The film was called ''A rubik's cube of images.''


It was around this time that his controversial PINK8 manifesto emerged, which created hostility, uncomprehending indifference and submission in the filmmaking world.

In The Milk Man (2013) became an abandoned vérité film project. The movie focused on a milk man who spiked local families milk bottles with LSD on his morning route's. The project was abandoned after the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) who were notified about the film and threatened to sue over alleged defamation regarding the films subject.

His next film Pregnant (2015) was released, which focuses on technology addiction in the 21st century & the mass hypnosis of a generation''. We witness the Facebook/Youtube generation's inner spiritual stagnation & mass disconnection from society, as they come to grips with this new madness called reality. During the filmming Federico was accused of arson after a misunderstanding concerning one of the films shoots.

During this period Jett Hollywood was born. Federico's alter-ego (Ziggy Stardust's illegitimate son) - A filmmaker from Mars. He promised to create two films and then commit 'cinema suicide'. Evolution Of The Earth Angel (2015) & Anarchy In The UK (2016) were the two films that emerged.
A controversy emerged after a suicide note which appeared online by his alter ego Jett Hollywood which resulted in an inquest. It prompted a disappearance case which revolved around the cryptic note which has since been withheld.

In 2016 the 1st Straight Jacket Guerrilla Film Festival launched 30 international films across the world, exploring today's Underground/Cult cinema makers.
To date his last film Teddy Bears Live Forever (2019) about a former 'it girl' suffering from multi-personality disorder was made in a single room with one actress as she unraveles into psychosis, and finally decides to go outside to lose her virginity.

An apt end to a chaotic career.




Wednesday 17 May 2017

Microwave Cinema: The New Underground Film Movement




ANARCHY IN THE UK: THE NEW UNDERGROUND CINEMA (documentary)
This doc brings to light the infamous Misrule Cinema Movement (2010-2016) - an animalistic connection to surrealismbroken bones, Dismaland and punk DIY energy. group of banned UK filmmakers inspired by the burgeoning underground music scene, occupy/tuition fee riots & the abolishing of the UK's Film Council take to the streets to shoot guerrilla-style movies on cheap cameras and iphones. In the process they foster an inspiring period in cinema history. A period of social decay gave birth to a new-wave of pent up creative energy, manic films and home made built street cinemas. The YouTube cinema generation had come of age.